Railroad-tie and fastener.



J. C. PENNBLL.

RAILROAD TIE AND FASTENER.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 20, 1911.

Patented NOV. 14, 1911.

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JOHN-C. PENNELL, OF GREENVILLE, OHIO.

RAILROAD-TIE AND FAS-TENER.

Application filed June 20, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. PENNELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at G-reenville, in the county of Darke and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Railroad-Tie and Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railroad ties and fasteners, one of its objects being to provide a metallic tie having means housed therein whereby the rails can be quickly secured to or released from the tie, said means including jaws extending through the upper face of the tie and which cooperate to firmly engage said rails, the jaws being held in such engagement by the operating means housed within the tie.

A further object is to provide means whereby the rail engaging elements will be yieldingly held so as to take up any play which may occur between the parts.

A further object is to provide rail engaging devices which operate positively to hold the rails atthe proper distances apart.

'With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure l is an elevation of one end portion of the tie embodying the present improvements, a rail thereon being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the other end portion of the tie. Fig. 3 is a section on line A-B Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the tie and showing the rail engaging devices and the parts associated therewith, in bottom plan.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a metallic railway tie preferably rectangular in cross sectional contour, said tie being hollow but having its end portions cut away at the bottom, as indicated at 2. Slots 3 and 4 are formed in the top of the tie near each end thereof, these slots 3 and 4 being spaced apart a distance somewhat less than the width of the base of a rail so that, when a rail is placed on the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 11,1911.

Serial No. 634,226.

tie and between the slots, the sides of the base flanges will slightly overhang the slots, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2. The slot 3 is adapted to receive an arm 5 having a jaw 6 at its upper end while slot 4: is adapted to receive an arm 7v having a jaw 8 at its upper end. The jaws 6 and 8 are adapted to bear upon the respective base flanges of the rail to be fastened .and the arms 5 and 7 bear against the end walls of the slots 3 and 4 respectively so that, when the jaws are clamped upon the rail, the walls of the 1 slots will preventthe arms 5 and 7 and the jaws from shifting longitudinally of the tie. The lower ends of the arms .5 and 7 are pivotally mounted on a coupling bolt 9 which also extends through one end of a lever 10. This lever is fulcrumed, as at 11, upon a bolt extending transversely through the tie. At a point between its ends the long arm of the lever is twisted so as to form a tongue 12 of spring material which can be sprung upwardly or downwardly, this tongue being adapted to rest upon a retaining bolt 13 which is extended transversely through the tie and adapted to be seated in any one of the series of openings 14 formed in each side of the tie. Each of the bolts 9, 11 and 13, has an ordinary nut for holding it in place but, in addition thereto, each bolt is alsoprovided with a cotter pin, such as indicated at 15, whereby the nuts are prevented from unscrewing accidentally.

When it is desired to fasten a rail to the tie bolt 13 is unlocked and withdrawn from the tie and the tongue 12 can then be swung downwardly. Bolt moved upwardly and the jaws 6 and 8 will be lifted out of engagement with the rail and said rail can be easily removed. To fasten the rail to the tie, it is placed in position thereon and between the arms 5 and 7 after which said arms are drawn downwardly by pulling upwardly on the tongue 12. Jaws 6 and 8 thus clamp upon the base flanges of the rail and are held against lateral displacement relative thereto by the end walls of the slots 3 and 4:. Tongue 12 is pulled upwardly until placed under tension whereupon the bolt 13 is inserted thereunder through the proper openings 14 and secured. It will be obvious that the resilient tongue 12 will hold the jaws 6 and 8 yieldingly clamped upon the rail under all conditions and any wear upon the parts will be promptly taken up automatically. In spite 9 will therefore be of this yielding engagement of the jaws with the rail, however, said rail is constantly held against lateral displacement by reason of the fact that the jaws cannot shift laterally because held by the end walls of the slots. It will be noted that the tongue 12 extends close to the open end of the tie and thus be readily reachedwhenever it is desired to release or totighten the rails.

lVhat is claimed is 1. The combination with a hollow railway tie, of a resilient operating element pivotally connected to and housed within the tie, a pivot device upon one end portion of said element, oppositely disposed rail engaging members mounted upon and movable with said device, said members extending beyond 'f the tie, and means for holding said resilient element under stress to bind said members upon a rail on the tie.

2. The combination with a railway tie having openings therein, of an actuating element pivotally connected to and housed within the tie, said element having a resilient portion, oppositely disposed arms pivotally connected to and movable with one end of said element, rail engaging jaws upon the arms, said arms being movably mounted within the openingsin the tie, and means for holding said resilient portion under stress to bind the jaws upon a rail on the tie.

3. The combination with a railway tie having openings therein, of arms extending through the openings and bearing against opposed walls thereof, jaws upon the arms for engaging a rail, a lever, a pivotal connection between the lever and the arms, said lever having a resilient portion, and means for holding the resilient portion under stress to exert a constant downward pull upon tl ie aws.

4. The combination with a railway tie having openings therein, of pivotally connected upwardly diverging arms, jaws upon the arms for engaging a rail, the walls of the openings constituting bearings for the arms to hold the jaws against spreading when moved toward the tie, a lever pivotally connected to the arms, said lever having a resilient portion, and means for holding the resilient portion under stress to bind the jaws upon the rail.

5. The combination with a railway tie having openings therein adapted to be lapped by a rail, of pivotally connected upwardly diverging arms extending through the openings, aws upon the arms for engaging the base of a rail, opposed walls of the openings constituting means for limiting the spreading movement of the jaws, a lever fulcrumed within the tie, and pivotally connected at one end to the arms, said lever having a resilient portion, and an adjustable retaining device within the tie for holding said resilient portion under stress.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto ailixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN G. PENNELL. I WVitnesses:

J. M. MARSH, EDWIN G. WRIGHT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

